A Perfect Day forBananafish

THERE WERE ninety-seven. NewYork advertising men

in the hotel, and, the way they were monopolizing
the long-distance lines, the girl in 507 had to wait
from. noontill almost. two-thirty: to: get her call
through.She used the.time, though. She read. an ar-
ticle in.a women’s pocket-size magazine, called “Sex
Is Fun—or Hell.” She washed her comb. and brush. |
She tookthe spotout-ofthe skirt- of. her beige:suit.
She moved the button on her Saks blouse. She
tweezed. out two freshly surfaced hairs in her mole.
When. the: operatorfinally rang her room, she was
sitting on thewindowseat andhad almost finishedput-
ting lacqueron the nails-ofher left hand. _
She was. agirl who for a._Tinging phone dropped
exactly nothing. She looked asif her phone had been
ringing continually eversince she had reached pu-
berty.
With her little: lacquer brush, while the phone was
ringing, she went overthe nailof her little finger, ac-
: ‘centuating the line of the moon. She‘then. replaced.
the cap on the bottle oflacquer and, standingup,
passed her left—the wet—hand back and forth
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 A Perfect Day for Bananafish A Perfect Day for Bananafish
through the air. With her dry hand, she picked up a “When did you getthere?”
congested ashtray fromthe window seat and carried “I don’t know. Wednesday morning, early.”
it with her over to the night table, on which the “Who drove?” |
phone stood. She sat down on one of the made-up “He did,” said thegirl. “And don’t get excited. He
twin beds and—it was the fifth or sixth ring—picked drove very nicely. I was amazed.”
up the phone. “He drove? Muriel, you gaveme your word of—”
“Hello,” she said, keeping the fingers of her left “Mother,” thegirl in interruped “TI justtold you. He
hand outstretched and away fromher white silk dress- drove very nicely. Under fifty the whole way, as a
ing gown, which was all that she was wearing, ex- matter of fact.”
cept mules—her rings were in the bathroom. “Did he try any of that funny business with the |
“I have your call to New York now, Mrs. Glass,” trees?”
the operator said. “I said he drove very nicely, Mother. Now,please.
“Thank you,” said the girl, and made room on the I asked him to stay close to the whiteline, andall,
night table for the ashtray. . and he knew whatI meant, and he did. He was even
A woman’s voice came through Muriel? Is that trying not. to look at the trees—youcouldtell, Did |
you?”
Daddy get the carfixed, incidentally?”
The girl turned the receiverslightly away from her “Not yet. They wantfour hundred dollars, just to—”
ear. “Yes, Mother. How are you?” she said. “Mother, Seymour told Daddy that he’d pay forit.
“I've been worried to death about you. Why There’s no reason for”
haven’t you phoned? Are you all right?” “Well, we'll see. How did he behave—in the car
“I tried to: get youlast night.and: the night before. and all?”
The phone here’s been-—” “All right,”said the girl.
“Are you ail right, Muriel?” “Did he keep calling you that awful—”
The. girl increasedthe angle between thereceiver “No. He has something new now.”
and her ear. “I’m fine. Pmhot. This is the hottest “What?”

day they’ve had in Floridain—” “Oh, what’s the difference, Mother?”

“Why haven’t you alled me? Pve been worried “Muriel, Iwant to know. Your father—”
“Allright, all right. He calls me Miss Spiritual
to——~”

“Mother, darling, don’t yell at me. I can hear you Trampof 1948,” the girl said, andgiggled.
beautifully,” said the bil. a| called you twice last “It isn’tfunny, Muriel. It isn’t funny at all. It’s hor-
night. Once just after-—
~

rible. It’s sad, actually. When I think how—”

“I told your father you’d probably call last night. “Mother,” the girl interrupted, “listen to me. You
But, no, he had to—Are you all right, Muriel? Tell rememberthat book hesent me from Germany? You
me the truth. know—those German. Poems. What'd I do with it?
“Pm fine. Stop asking me that, please.” Pvebeen racking my—
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 A Perfect Day for Bananafish A Perfect Dayfor Bananafish —
“You have it.” “There’s a psychiatrist here atthe hotel,” said the
“Are you sure?”said thegirl. girl. po
“Certainly. That is, I have it. It’s in Freddy’s room. “Who? What’s his name?”
Youleft ithere andI didn’t have room for it in the— “T don’t know. Rieser or:something. He’s supposed
Why? Does he want it?” . to be very good.”
“No. Only, he asked meabout it, when we were “Neverheard of him.”
driving down. He wanted to. know if Td read it.” “Well, he’s supposedto be very good, anyway.”
“It was in German!” “Muriel, don’t be fresh, please. We're very. wor-
“Yes, dear. That doesn’t make any difference,” said ried about you. Your father wanted to wire you last
the girl, crossing her legs. “Hesaid that the poems night.to come home, as.a matter of {—”
happen to be written by the only great poet of the “I’m not coming home right now, Mother, So re-
century. He said I should’ve bought a translation or lax.” .
something. Or learned the language, if you please.” “Muriel. My word of honor. Dr..Sivetski: said Sey-
“Awful. Awful. It’s sad, actually,iis what it is. Your mour may.completely lose contt——”
father said last night—” “J just got here, Mother. This is the first vacation
“Just a second, Mother,”the. oie said. She went I’ve had in years, and I'm not going to just. pack
over to the window seat for her cigarettes, lit one, everything andcomehome,”said the girl. “I couldn’t
and returned to her seat on the bed. “Mother?” she- travel now. anyway. I’m so sunburned I can hardly
said, exhaling smoke. move.” .
“Muriel. Now, listen to me.” “You're badly sunburned? Didn’t you use that jar
“Pm listening.” of Bronze I put in your bag? Iput it right—”
“Your father talked to Dr. Sivetski.” . “Lused it. ’'m burned anyway.”
“Qh?” said the girl. “That’sterrible. Where are you burned?”
“Hetold him everything. At least, he said he did “All over,dear,all over.”
—you know your father. The trees. That business with '“That’s terrible.”
the window.. Those horrible things hesaid to Granny — “Tl live.”
about her plans for passing away. What hedid. with “Tell me, did you ‘talk to this psychiatrist?”
all those lovely pictures from Bermuda—everything.” “Well, sortof,” saidthegirl. -
“Well?” said thegirl. “What'd he say? Where was Seymour when you
“Well. In the first place, he.said it was a perfect talked to him?”
crime the Army released: himfromthe. hospital—my “In the Ocean Room, playingthe piano. He’s played
of honor.. He very definitely told your father thepiano bothnights we’vebeen here.”
there’s a chance—a very great chance, he said—that “Well, what’d he say?” 7
Seymour may completely lose control of himself. My “Oh, nothing much..He spoke to me first. I was
word of honor.” sitting next to -him at Bingo last night, and he asked
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 A Perfect Day for Bananafish A Perfect Day for Bananafish :
me if that wasn’t my husband playing the piano in “How’s your room?”
the other room. I said yes, it was, and he asked ‘me “All right. Just all right, though. We couldn’t: get
if Seymour’s been sickor something. So I said—” the room we had before the war,” said the girl. “The
“Why'd he ask that?” people are awful this year. You should see what‘sits
“7 don’t know, Mother. I guess because he’s so next to us in the dining room. At the nexttable. They
pale and all,” said the girl. “Anyway, after Bingo he look as if they drove down in a truck.”
and his wife asked me if I wouldn’t like to join them “Well, it’s that way all over. How’s your ballerina?”
for a drink. So I did. His wife was horrible. You re- “It’s too long. I.told youit was too long.”
member that awful dinner dress we saw in Bonwit’s “Muriel, I’m only going to ask you once more—
window? The one you said you’d have to have a tiny, -are you really all right?”
tiny—” “Ves, Mother,” said thegirl. “For the ninetieth
“The green?” time.”
“She had it on. Andall hips. She kept asking me “And you don’t want to come home?”
if Seymour’s related to that Suzanne Glass that has “No, Mother.”
that place on. Madison Avenue—the millinery.” “Yourfather said last night that. he’d be more than
“What'd he say, though? Thedoctor.” willing to pay for it if you’d go away someplace by
“Oh.*Well, nothing much,really. I mean: we were yourself andthinkthingsover. You could take a love-
in the bar andall. It was terribly noisy.” ly cruise.Weboth thought—”
“Yes, but did—did you tell him what hetried to “No, thanks,” said the girl, and. uncrossed her legs. ©
do with Granny’s chair?” “Mother, this call is costing a for-—”
“No, Mother. I didn’t go into details very much,” “When I think-of how you. waited for that boy ail
said the girl. “I’ll probably get a chance to talk to through the war—I mean when you think ofall those’
him again. He’s in the bar all day long.” _ crazylittle wives who—”
“Did he say he thought there was a chance he might “Mother,” said the girl, “we'dbetter hang up. Sey-
get—you know—funny or anything? Do something to mour may come in any minute.”
you!” “Where is he?”
“Not exactly,” said the girl. “He had to have more “On the beach.”
facts,. Mother. They have to. know. about: your child- “On. the beach? By himself? Does he behave him-
hood—all that stuff. I told you, we could hardly talk, self onthe beach?”
it was so noisy in there.” “Mother,” said the girl,. “you talk about him. as
“Well. How’s yourblue coat?” though he were a raving maniac—”
“All right. I had ‘some of the padding taken out.” “I said nothing of the kind, Muriel.”
“How are the clothes this year?” “Well, you sound that way. I meanall he does is
“Terrible. But out of this world. You see- Sequins lie. there. He won’t take his bathrobe off.”
—everything,” said the girl. “He won’t take his bathrobe off? Why not?”.
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 A. Perfect Day for Bananafish
A Perfect Day for Bananafish
“7 don’t know. I guess because he’s so pale.” in the beach chair beside Mrs. Carpenter’s. “I wish
“Mygoodness, he needs the sun. Can’t you make I knewhowshetied it. It wasreally darling.”
“It sounds darling,” Mrs. Carpenter agreed. “Sybil,
him?”
holdstill, pussy.”
“You know Seymour,” saidthe girl, and crossed
“Did yousee more glass?” said Sybil.
her legs again.. “He says he doesn’t want a lot of fools
Mrs. Carpenter sighed. “All right,” she said. She
looking at his tattoo.” .
“He doesn’t have any tattoo! Did he get one in the replaced the cap on the sun-tan oil bottle. “Now run
_Army?” and play, pussy.Mommy’s going uptothehotel and
“No, Mother. No, dear,” said the girl, and. stood
have a Martini with Mrs. Hubbel. I'll bring you the
olive.”
up. “Listen, I'l call you tomorrow, maybe.”
- “Muriel. Now, listen to me.”
Set loose, Sybil immediately ran down to the flat
“Yes, Mother,” said the girl, putting her weight on partof the beach and began to walk in the: direction
her right leg. of Fisherman’s Pavilion. Stopping only to sink afoot
“Call me the instant he does, pr says, anything at in a. soggy, collapsed castle, she was soon outofthe
area reservedfor guests of the hotel. |
all funny—you know what I mean. Do youhear me?’
“Mother, I’m not afraid of Seymour.” She walked for about a quarter of a mile and then
suddenly brokeinto an oblique runup the’ soft: part
- “Midriel, I wantyou to promise me.”
of the beach. Shestoppedshort when she reachedthe
“All right, I promise. Goodbye, Mother,” said the
place where a young man was lyingonhis back. —
girl. “My love to Daddy.” She hungup.
“Are you going in the water, see more glass?” she
said.
“See moreglass,” said Sybil Carpenter, who was
The young manstarted, his right handgoingto the
staying at the hotel with her mother. “Did you see
lapels of his terry-clothrobe. He turned over on his
more glass?”
stomach, letting a. sausaged towel fall away from his
“Pussycat, stop saying that. It’s driving Mommy ab-
eyes, and squintedup at Sybil.
solutely crazy. Holdstill,please.”
“Hey.: Hello, Sybil.”
Mrs.. Carpenter was putting sun-tan oil onSybil’s
“Are you going in. thewater?”
shoulders, spreading it down over the delicate, wing-
“I was waiting for you,” said the young man.
like blades of her back. Sybil was sitting insecurely : |
“What's new?”
on a huge,. inflated beach ball, facing the ocean.She
“What?” said Sybil.
was wearing a canary-yellow two-piece bathing ‘suit,
“What'snew? What’s on the program?”
one piece of which she would not actually be needing
“My daddy’s. coming tomorrow on a nairiplane,”
for another nine or tenyears.
Sybil said, kicking. sand.
“Tt was really just an ordinary. silk handkerchief—
“Not in my face, baby,” the young man said, -put-
you could see when you got up close,” saidthe:woman
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 A Perfect Day for Bananafish A Perfect: Day for Bananafish
ting his hand.on Sybil’s ‘ankle. “Well, it’s about time laid: the side of his face on his right forearm. “Well,”
he got here,your daddy.I’ve been expecting him hour- he said, “you: know howthose:things happen, Sybil. I
ly. Hourly.” | a , was sitting there, playing. And you were nowhere in
“Where’s the lady?”Sybil said. oo, sight. And Sharon Lipschutz came over and sat down
“The lady?” the young man brushed some sand out next to me. I couldn’tpush heroff, could I?”
of his thin hair. “That’s hardto say, Sybil. She may. “Vas ,? -

be in any one of athousand places. At the hair- “Oh, no. No. I couldn’t do that,” said the young
dresser’s. Having her hair dyed mink. Or makingdolls man. “Ill tell you. what I did do, though.” —
for poor children, in her room.” Lying prone now, he “What?”

made twofists, set one ontop ofthe other, and rested “I pretended she was you.”
his chin on the top one. “Ask mesomethingelse, Sybil: immediately stooped and began to dig in the
Sybil,” he said. “That’s a fine bathing suit:you have sand. “Let’s go in the water,” she said. ©
on.Ifthere’s one thing Ilike,it’s a blue bathing suit.” “All right,” said the young man. “I think I c
Sybil stared at him, then looked down at herpro- work it in.” . :
truding stomach. “This is a yellow,” she. said. “This “Next time, push her off,” Sybil said.
is ayellow.” ©. “Pushwho off?” -
“It,is? Comea little closer.” “Sharon Lipschutz.” :
Sybil took astep forward. “Ah, Sharon Lipschutz,” said the young man.
“You're absolutely right: What a fool I am.” “How that name comes up. Mixing memory andde-
“Ate you going in the water?” Sybil said. sire.’ He suddenly got tohisfeet. He lookedat the
“I'm seriously considering it. I’m giving it plenty of - ocean. “Sybil,” hesaid, “I'll tell you. what we'll do.
thought, Sybil,you’ll.be gladtoknow.” We'll see if we can catch a bananafish.”
_ Sybil prodded the rubberfloat that the young man “A what?” Oo , |
sometimesused as ahead-rest. “It needs air,” she said. “A bananafish,” hesaid, andundid the belt ofhis
“You're right.It needs more airthan I’mwilling to robe. Hetook off the robe. His shoulders were white
admit.” Hetook away his fists and lethischin -rest andnarrow,and his trunks.wereroyal blue.He folded
on the sand. “Sybil,” he said,“you're looking fine. It’s the robe, first lengthwise, then: in thirds.He unrolled
goodto seeyou. Tell me aboutyourself.” He reached the towel he had usedover. his eyes, spreadit,out
in front of him and took -both of Sybil’s ankles ‘in his on the sand,and then laidthe folded robe on top of
hands. “I’m Capricorn,”he said. “Whatare you?” it. He bent over, pickedupthefloat, and secured it
“Sharon Lipschutz said youlet her sit on-the piano: underhis right‘arm. Then,withhis left hand, he took
seat with you,” Sybilsaid. Sybil’s hand. .
“Sharon Lipschutz said that?” The two started to walkdown to theocean.
Sybil nodded.vigorously. . “I imagine: you’ve.seen:.quite a few -bananafish. in
He let go of her ankles, drew in his hands, and your day,” the youngmansaid.- .
[ 12 ] [13]
 APerfect. Day for Bananafish APerfect Day for Bananafish
Sybil shook her head. “Very much. Don’t you?”
“You haven’t? Where do you. live, anyway?” Sybil nodded.“Do you like olives?” she asked.
“T don’t know,” said Sybil. “Olives—yes. Olives and: wax. I never go anyplace
“Sure you know. You must know. Sharon Lip- without’em.”
schutz knowswhere she lives and she’s only three and “Doyou like Sharon Lipschutz?” Sybil asked. -
a half.” “Yes. Yes, I do,” said the young man.. “What I like
Sybil stopped walking and yanked her hand away particularly about. her is that she never doesanything
from him. She picked up an ordinary beach shelland ‘mean tolittle dogsin the lobbyof the hotel. That lit-
looked at itwithelaborate interest. She threw it down. tle toy bull that belongs to. that lady from Canada,
“Whirly Wood, Connecticut,” she said, and resumed- for instance. You probably won't believe this, but
walking, stomach foremost. somelittle girls like to- poke thatlittle dog with balloon
“Whirly Wood, Connecticut,” said the young man. sticks. Sharon doesn’t. She’s never mean or unkind.
“Is that anywhere near Whirly Wood, Connecticut, by That’s whyI like her so much.”
any chance?” Sybil wassilent.
Sybil looked at him. “ThatS where I live,” she said “[ like to chewcandles,” she saidfinally.
impatiently. “I live in Whirly Wood, Connecticut.” “Who doesn’t?” saidthe young man,gettinghisfeet
She ray a few steps aheadofhim, caughtupherleft wet. “Wow!It’s cold.” He dropped. the rubber ‘fioat
foot in her left hand, and hopped two or three.times. on. its back. “No, wait just .a second, Sybil. Wait'll
“You have no idea how:clear that makes every- we get outalittle bit.’
thing,” the young man said. - They waded out till the water was up. to. Sybi’s
Sybil released her foot. “Did you-read‘Little Black waist. Then theyoung: man picked her up and laid
Sambo’?” she said. her down onherstomachonthefloat. .
“It’s very funny you ask me that,” he said. “It so “Don’t you ever wear a bathing cap or anything?”
happens I just finished reading it last night.” He heasked.
reached down and took ‘back Sybil’s hand. “Whatdid “Don’t: let go,”Sybil ordered. “You-hold. me, now.”
youthink of it?” he asked her. “Miss Carpenter. Please. I knowmy business,” the
“Did thetigers: run all aroundthat tree?” young man said. “Youjust keep your eyes open for
“I thought they'dnever stop.. I. never saw: so. many anybananafish. This is a perfectday for bananafish.’
tigers.” . “I don’t see any,”Sybilsaid. |
“There were onlysix;” Sybilsaid. . “That’s understan dable. Their habits are very pe-
“Only six!” ‘said the young.man: “Do you call that culiar.” He kept pushing the float. The water was not
only?” quite up to’ his chest.“Theylead a very tragic life,”
“Do youlike wax?”Sybilasked.. _ hesaid. “You knowwhat they do, Sybil?”
“Do Ilike what?” askedthe.young‘man... _ She shookherhead.
“Well, they swim into a hole where there’s a lot
“Wax,” :

1 14Ly [15 ]

aeee opcenee eee ppc eeeten e

 A Perfect Day for Bananafish ‘A Perfect Day for Bananafish

of bananas. They’re very ordinary-looking fish when wet feet, which were drooping over the end of the
they swim in. But once they‘get in, they behavelike float, and kissed thearch.
pigs. Why, I’ve known: somebananafish to swim into “Hey!” said the owner of thefoot,turning. around.
a banana hole and eat as many as seventy-eight ba- “Hey, yourself! We're going in now. You had
nanas.” He edged the float and its passenger a foot enough?”
“No!”
closer to the horizon. “Naturally, after:that they’re. so
fat they can’t get out of the hole again. Can’t fit “Sorry,” he said, and pushed thefloat. toward shore.
through the door.” until Sybil got off it. He carried it the rest of the
“Not too far out,” Sybil said. “What happens to way.
them?” “Goodbye,” said ‘Sybil, and ran without regret in
“What happens to who?” | the direction ofthe hotel.
“The bananafish.”
“Oh, you mean after they eat so many bananas ‘The -young.man put on his: robe, closed the lapels
they can’t get out of the banana hole?” _ tight, and jammedhis towel intohis pocket.He picked
“Yes,” said Sybil. up the slimywet, cumbersomefloat and putit under
his arm. Heplodded alone through the soft, hot sand
“Well, I hate to tell you, Sybil. They die.”
toward the hotel.
“Why?” asked Sybil.
On.the sub-main floor of thehotel, which the man-
“Well, they get banana fever. It’s a terrible dis-
agement directed: bathers to use, a woman with zinc
ease.”
salve on her nose gotinto the elevator with the young
“Here comes a wave,” Sybil said nervously.
man.
“We'll ignore it. We'll snubit,” said the young man. “I see you're. lookingat myfeet,” he said to her
“Two snobs.” He took Sybil’s.anklesiin his hands and when the car was in motion.
pressed downand forward. The float nosed over the -“I beg your pardon?” said the woman.
epeenatteenepeettetpn einer
top of the wave. The water.soaked Sybil’s blond hair, “I said I see you're. looking. at myfeet.”
but her screamwasfull ofpleasure. “{ beg your pardon.I happened to: be. looking at
With her hand, when thefloat was level. again, she. —“the floor,” said the woman, and faced thedoors of the
wiped away a flat, wetband of hair from her eyes, | car..
and reported,“I just saw one.” “If you want to look at my feet, say so,” said the
“Saw what, my love?” young man, “But-don’t be a God-damned sneak about
“A. bananafish.” it.39

“My God, no!” said the young man. “Did he have ‘Let me out here, please,” the woman said quickly
any bananasinhis mouth?” to the girl operating the car.
“Yes,” said Sybil. “Six.” “The car doors openedand the woman got out with-
The young man suddenlypicked up oneofSybil’s ‘out looking. back.
[ 16] 171
 _A Perfect Day for Bananafish
“T have two normal feet andI can’tsee the slightest
God-damned reason why anybody should stare at
them,” said the young man. “Five, please.” He took
his roomkey out ofhis robe pocket.-
He got off atthe fifth floor, walked down the hall,
and let himself into 507. The room smelled of new
calfskin luggage and nail-lacquer remover.
He glanced at thegirl lying asleep on one of the
twin beds. Then he-went over to one of the pieces
of luggage, openedit, and from.under a pile of shorts
and undershirts he took out an Ortgies calibre 7.65
automatic. He released the magazine, looked at it,
then reinserted it.He cocked thepiece. .Then hewent
over andsat down onthe.unoccupied twin bed, looked
at thegirl, aimed the. Pistol,and fired a bullet through.
his tight temple.
i

PRCGL EESoe

[ 18]